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KN: As you were growing up, then your father was a teacher. And he taught you folks both in Japanese and in Spanish?

EK: Yes, yes.

KN: So could you describe going to school, or was it just home education?

EK: Oh, okay. It was just home education, and he said, "Well, I think you're ready to go to school." And there was a school close by, so I went. But I came home and I said -- we used to call him Otouchan -- "Otouchan, I know everything that they're doing. I know more." So he said, "Okay, then you don't have to go." So therefore I never was baptized Catholic. Because in Peru at that time you had to be baptized to go, especially to public schools. You had to be. And so I never got baptized Catholic.

KN: So your father gave you your education at home?

EK: Yes, uh-huh.

KN: And could you tell me your daily activities? Like did your father educate you in the morning and did you, like many children, have to work in the store, to help out with the family business?

EK: Oh, no, 'cause remember, I was the oldest, and I was only there 'til I was seven. So I believe it was in the morning, I don't remember, or whenever he had time. But we got a pretty good education from him. And also he would go to Lima, the capital, to buy things like books. And he would bring books, those ehon, you know, the picture books, and so that he would make us read them, which I loved. And I learned about stories like Cinderella. But in Japanese it's called "Shinderera." So I used to think that was a Japanese story until later I realized it's Cinderella, not Shinderera. So yeah, so there were those kind of education, too. And I learned about the Dutch boy who was a hero because he stuck his arm so the dam would not get bigger, the hole would not get bigger. That was from the Japanese books that he brought.

KN: So was there a large Japanese community that you were a part of?

EK: Actually, no. There were very few in Ica where we lived, south of Lima. Lima had a lot more, of course, being a big city. And because I think of our... because we were so young, we played with each other more than anything. We did have a few friends, but we didn't... like now, the children go to each other's homes, we didn't do that much. I think also because people were busy, and because it was sufficient. And maybe I should explain how the houses were in Peru. The houses in Peru are long, it's lengthwise, because taxes are collected on how wide the frontage is. So it just went all the way back, I mean, you just keep going and there's room. And the very last part is what is called the corral, which is, in our case, was dirt, and that's where he used to burn all the paper waste, like boxes and newspapers, and we would have fun because he would put sweet potatoes and roast them there. And so in the meantime we would be playing around and we would come back to him and say, "Is it ready, is it ready?" 'Cause then you have that nice smell of the potato cooking in there. He said, "Not yet, not yet." So that was one of the fun things.

[Interruption]

<End Segment 2> - Copyright © 2012 Densho. All Rights Reserved.